More often that I can count, I get questions about what my favorite camera gear is and what I recommend for someone just trying to get into photography. Opposite of that, I also get comments such as “I love your camera!” This last statement always makes me laugh. It makes any photographer laugh, and someday you will see why. Now, back to talking about beginner photography gear….. I can write for days and days about gear, and that I will very soon on how to select the best gear for the job whether you are a travel photographer, or family photographer. Today, this post will instead focus on the beginner photography gear that I always recommend when someone aspiring in portrait photography reaches out.

These recommended gear are not just great for aspiring portrait photographers, they are great for any type of photographer. If anything, the one thing I learned and possibly the most important is that you do not need the latest and fanciest gears to achieve great pictures.

When I first began practicing photography in manual mode, I would borrow my brother’s crop sensor DLSR Sony and practice every chance I had. Shortly after, I jumped into a full frame DSLR getting my own Canon 5DM2. I loved that camera and used it for 10 years. So what do I recommend when people ask? Well, first thing I tell them is I only have experience with Canon and only know about Canon. Hehe. There are so many brands and types of cameras available, but when it comes to person experience, I am a Canon girl. 

Canon Rebel series are known as the beginners DLSR. They are light, easy to use, and affordable. The Rebel series have a crop sensor, but even with that your photos can be amazing!

The EOS Rebel T7 has excellent features to take a photo beyond perspectives. At 24.1 megapixels, you can crop a photo further and blow it up without much a whole lot of distortion. The high ISO capabilities will help with low light settings and still be less grainy.

Canon Rebels and DSLRs uses EF mount lens unlike their newer siblings who uses the RF mount lens. I recommend ditching the kit lens, and instead opt for the inexpensive prime lens 50mm 1.8f . The lens is inexpensive at around $100 for brand new and is a great lens for learning portrait photography. On a crop sensor, you may need a little extra leg room since 50mm on a crop sensor is about 70mm at eye perspective, but that will also help to produce that deliciously creamy bokeh. The capability to open wide to 1.8F will allow for more light to enter the camera, while keeping ISO lower resulting in less grain, and produce a nice depth of field.

When buying a camera, there are so many kit package possibilities. The more items in a kit, the more enticing it is to push Buy. While this feels like a great deal, the truth is all the accessories in that kit are likely cheap and worthless. Instead, I recommend you buy the camera and lens kit (or just the body) separate from accessories. Then only buy the minimum accessories you need and choose better quality accessories!

These are my recommended gear for starting out. You can’t go wrong with these to launch your hobby and passion for photography. I will be starting a series on photography education on my blog soon, so stay tuned. Subscribe the blog and come back often!

Happy Clicking!